Method of forming stump sockets



Sept 21, 1954 F. A. scHlNDLER METHOD OF FORMING STUMP SOCKETS Filed Oct. 6, 1951 Patented Sept. 21, 1954 `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD F FORMING STUMP SOCKETS Frank A. Schindler,` Spokane, Wash.`

Application October 6, 1951, Serial No. 250,132

4 Claims.

My present invention is an improved stump socket for the stump of amputated limbs and the method of making same.

Stump sockets have been known and used for many years, but have not been entirely satisfactory since they have failed to provide a socket whi-ch eliminates all unnecessary pressures on 'the prominent boney structure of the stump. lThe prominent boney structure is usually tender ture and provides a comfortable and well tting socket for attaching a false limb to the stump.

Briefly stated, my invention comprises a stump socket having a resilient cushioning pad shaped to fit the stump loosely over the prominent boney structures and more tightly over the shallow or recessed fleshy areas and the novel method of forming the socket.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts,

Figure l is a prespeotive view of a duplicate form of a stump and having a cover applied thereto and partially secured,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the form after the resilient cushion strips have been applied,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a socket, upon an enlarged scale, showing the outer cover applied and partially secured and with portions cut away for illustration purposes,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a finished socket,

Figure 5 is a transverse cross section taken through a finished socket,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a socket with the outer covering removed, and,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross section taken through the upper edge of my improved socket.

When adapting a false limb to be attached to the stump of an amputated limb, it is necessary to form a stump socket to t the stump and then adapt the socket to secure to the false limb.

In forming the socket of my invention, I first make a plaster of Paris cast or shell in the usual manner from the stump to be fitted and then plaster of Paris or other suitable material which will set quickly to form an unyielding mass.

The form is then removed from the shell and a skilled workman uses a scraping tool to remove a slight amount of the body of the form from the receding areas 'characteristic of the fleshy portions of the stump for the purpose of reducing them in size, and also he applies additional material to the prominent areas characteristic of the boney structure of the stump.

While the workman performs this function of enlarging the prominent areas and reducing the receding areas, he must be careful to see that the peripheral size of the form does not vary any substantial amount over the original form, and certainly it must be no smaller in size.

After the duplicate form I0 of the stump is treated as outlined, it is ready for building the socket thereon. A covering I l of soft pliable material such as glove type horse leather', is applied over the form i0 to which it conforms, and the adjoiningI edges l2 are feathered or skived and secured together by an adhesive i3 to form a smooth union. The inner covering il extends higher on the form than the nished socket is intended to be thus providing a nishing portion li' for rolling over-the upper edge of the socket as shown in Fig. 7.

An adhesive similar to that used to secure the skived edges of covering i l is applied over the peripheral face of the yCovering Il, and longitudinally extending strips i4 of sponge rubber are applied to form a continuous pad l5 over the covering. The strips i4 are cut from a sheet of sponge rubber and each one is identical in thickness, but have inconstant and variable widths, as shown, to provide for variations in quantity of material necessary to encircle the uneven pe ripheral face of the form. A practical illustration or this being the common barrel stave which is wider at the center than the ends to provide a finished barrel which is larger about its center than its ends. The application of the pad l5 in this manner forms a socket which is shaped over the prominent areas at a slightly larger cup size than the covered area and having no inherent tension to press on the tender boneyI structure. The recessed areas are slightly smaller and the socket therefore bears on these areas, which are not, as a rule, tender.

A piece of firm molding leather I6 is soaked in water to make it soft and workable, and is "Wrapped about the resilient pad and the adjoinshaped, the skived edges are secured by an adhesive.

Approximately 3 inches of the lower portion of the covering leather I6 is removed to form a shoulder Il which rests upon the false leg and the socket is then secured thereto in the usual manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In making a stump socket for the stump of an amputated limb the method which vcc` rriprises enlargingl the prominentareas"an"dreducing the receding areas of a duplicate form of the stump While maintaining its peripheral size, applying over the peripheral face of ther-forma layeraof glove horse leather having its adjoining edges skived, securing the skived edges tog'ether'with an adhesive to form a smoothiuniomapplying a coat of adhesive over the face f said leather, securing multiple vertically extending strips of sponge rubber of a constant thickness and inconstantvariable 1widths tothe leather by means of said adhesive, said fstripsihavingadhesive applied to their :adjoining edges fto kunite them into a vcontinuous lpad being .free .from tension, and completing thesocket by' applying a. leather cover over the pad I and 'securing "its skived Vadjoining edges 'byfmeans ,of adhesive.

2. -In making a stump-socket forV the stump of an amputated limb themethcd Awhich comprises enlarging the prominenter-eas and reducing the recedingI areas of A'a'duplicateform of the 'stump While maintaining its peripheral size, applying overthe peripheral'faceiofthe form a layer of smooth pliant leatherandfsecuring the adjoining ends of vthe leather,v adhesivelysecuring over said covering vertically A-extending*strips of resilient padding of a constantthickness and inconstant variablewidths, so that the strips contact each other-attheir edge 'portionsfand form a continlc'o'nstant variable widths, so that the strips contact-.Veach-otherat their edge portions and form a continuous padbeing free from tension, and

fco'npleting tli'esocket by applying a covering over the pad and securing the adjoining edges "of the covering.

:4. :In making a stump socket for the stump of an amputated limb the method which comprises enlarging i the prominent areas-and .reducing the receding areas of a duplicateform or" the stu-mp While substantially maintaining its peripheral size, applying over the .peripheraliace of the for-m a `continuous layer of smooth pliant covering, securing over said covering Ya vcontinuous pad-` of resilient .material Abeing free .from tension, f and completing the socket byY securing a covering over the pad.

LReferentes lcited .in the me of this patent UNITED sTATEs ve1=rvcE1vrs Number Name Date [55282-257 Mason YMar 3, 1925 1`,861-;31l Logan May 31, v1932 -1,907,511 Davies May 9, 1933 2578,019 Ryan I Dec. 11,1951 

